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How to Configure Devices to Use a Self-Hosted Proxy

Configure a self-hosted proxy by matching its protocol, address, port, and credentials to a device, browser, or app that supports it.
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To route a device or app through a self-hosted proxy, you need the proxy’s protocol, hostname or IP address, port, and credentials if authentication is enabled. Then configure the operating system, Wi-Fi network, browser, or individual app that should use it. A proxy setting is not a guarantee that every app or all device traffic will use the proxy.

Before you configure a device

Get the connection details from the proxy host, not from an example guide. Confirm:

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  • Protocol: for example, HTTP or SOCKS5. Check whether the client needs a specific HTTP proxy capability such as CONNECT.
  • Hostname or IP address and port: enter the values assigned to your proxy.
  • Authentication: obtain the username and password or other required credentials, if enabled.
  • Reachability: make sure the device’s current network can connect to the proxy endpoint.

Clients differ in which protocols, authentication methods, and proxy settings they support. If an app has no compatible proxy option, an operating-system setting may not make it use the proxy.

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Choose where the proxy should apply

Configuration method Typical scope Important limitation
Operating-system setting Apps that honor the device’s system proxy Some browsers and apps use their own settings or ignore the system proxy.
Wi-Fi network setting A particular wireless network on platforms such as Android It is not necessarily a global setting for every network or app.
PAC file Clients that support a proxy auto-configuration script You need a PAC URL, and not every client supports PAC.
Browser or app setting That browser or application Other programs are unaffected.
Command-line configuration Individual tools that honor proxy options or environment variables Shell variables are conventions, not a guarantee that all traffic is routed.
Tunnel or routing software Traffic handled by the configured tunnel client Supported platforms and routing behavior depend on the software.

For a single device, start with the narrowest setting that covers the apps you need. If you need broader routing, verify that your operating system or a compatible tunnel client actually supports that scope.

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Configure a proxy on Windows

Windows offers automatic detection, a setup script, and manual configuration. For a manually entered endpoint, open Settings → Network & internet → Proxy and use the manual proxy controls to enter the server name or IP address and port. Microsoft’s instructions are at Use a proxy server in Windows.

  1. Open Settings → Network & internet → Proxy.
  2. Choose the configuration option that matches the details supplied by your proxy host: automatic detection, a setup script, or manual configuration.
  3. For manual setup, enter the proxy server’s hostname or IP address and port.
  4. Add exceptions for sites or addresses that should connect directly, if needed. Decide whether local intranet addresses should bypass the proxy; Microsoft recommends bypassing them unless your organization requires otherwise.
  5. Save the settings, then test a supported app or client.

Windows’ device setting does not configure every app independently. If a browser or program has its own proxy controls, check whether it uses the system setting or requires a separate entry.

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Configure other platforms and clients

macOS

For a PAC file, Cloudflare documents the path System Settings → Network → active service → Details → Proxies. A PAC setup requires a script URL provided by the proxy operator, and the client must support PAC. These steps are documented for Cloudflare’s endpoints; they do not imply that every self-hosted proxy supplies a PAC file or supports the same protocol. See Cloudflare’s PAC configuration guide, updated August 4, 2026.

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Linux desktop and command line

Cloudflare documents PAC configuration for GNOME and KDE desktops. It also notes that most Linux command-line tools, including curl and wget, do not natively support PAC. For command-line use, configure the specific tool directly or use proxy environment variables if that tool honors them; do not assume desktop PAC settings route shell traffic. The available options depend on the program and proxy protocol.

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Android

The cited Android guidance describes configuring a proxy separately for each Wi-Fi network rather than through one global proxy setting. Menu names and steps vary by manufacturer and Android version. Even when a Wi-Fi network has a proxy configured, individual apps may not honor it. Cloudflare’s device guide explains its Android PAC instructions: Configure a PAC file on your device.

iPhone and iPad

Proxy support depends on both the protocol and the client. Cloudflare says iOS and iPadOS do not support the HTTPS proxy type used by its Gateway endpoints; that is a product-specific limitation, not proof that iOS cannot use any kind of proxy. The tun2proxy project lists iOS among the platforms supported by its own tunnel client. Check the current documentation for the exact app, protocol, and routing behavior before relying on it: tun2proxy.

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Firefox

Firefox uses its own proxy settings by default rather than automatically inheriting the operating system’s proxy. You can configure Firefox directly or select its documented Use system proxy settings option. Check Firefox’s current settings labels, and confirm that the chosen configuration supports your proxy protocol and, if applicable, PAC. Cloudflare’s guide describes this distinction: Configure a PAC file on your device.

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Apps with their own proxy controls

Use the labels and protocol definitions in the app’s documentation rather than assuming that every app means the same thing by “HTTPS proxy.” For example, Jump Desktop says its desktop clients support HTTPS and SOCKS5 proxy settings; its “HTTPS” option refers to an HTTP proxy that supports CONNECT. Jump Desktop says its iOS and Android apps do not provide proxy settings. Those details apply to Jump Desktop, not to all desktop or mobile apps. See Jump Desktop’s proxy documentation.

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Verify the connection and troubleshoot failures

Test from the app or command-line client that you actually intend to use. A successful check in one client does not prove that other apps use the proxy.

  • Connection fails immediately: recheck the hostname or IP, port, protocol, credentials, and whether the device’s network can reach the endpoint.
  • Some sites or services bypass the proxy: review Windows’ exception list or the PAC rules, if used.
  • The test client works but an app does not: check whether that app supports the protocol and uses system settings, or configure its proxy separately.
  • A desktop browser works but command-line tools do not: the tools may not use PAC or the desktop proxy setting. Configure the tool using its supported options.
  • Only some Android apps use the proxy: per-network proxy configuration does not establish that every app honors the setting.

The HelixProxy project documents curl examples for checking HTTP and SOCKS5 endpoints. They are project-specific examples, so replace the sample host and port with your own and follow the client’s documentation: HelixProxy Client Setup.

What to check before settling on a method

  • Coverage: decide whether you need one app, one browser, one Wi-Fi network, or broader traffic routing.
  • Protocol compatibility: match the proxy’s HTTP, CONNECT, SOCKS5, or PAC support to the client.
  • Traffic scope: verify which connections the setting covers rather than assuming it proxies all traffic.
  • Ongoing management: manual entries can suit an individual device; PAC or managed deployment may suit an organization when its clients support them.

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